Q&A with OLB Jonathan Kongbo
Last week, I dubbed Jonathan Kongbo Tennessee’s Odysseus. The mercurial senior outside linebacker has had a wayward journey just to get to Rocky Top, but entering his third year with the Vols, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound outside linebacker finally feels at home.
“I keep telling my parents, it doesn’t even feel like the same place anymore,” Kongbo said Thursday.
“The culture that’s being instilled here, it’s just completely different.”
In a very candid 10-minute session with the media recently, Kongbo detailed his latest positional change, is confidence in Jeremy Pruitt and why he’s “living his best life right now.”
Here’s a transcription from that interview…
How is the transition to outside linebacker going?
“It’s been good. I feel like I’m back to doing a lot of the things I’m naturally good at. Coach Pruitt just asked me about it, and he thought it better suited me and my type of body. I've always told him from the moment he got here that I was willing to do anything that he wanted me to do. (He likes) me coming off the edge, my ability to move in space. A lot of the things I was really good at when I was coming (to Tennessee) and they’ve really honed up those skills.”
Is there a trepidation level switching to a third position in as many seasons?
“Preparation is key. I’m going to be very honest with you, I felt prepared. They prepared me very well. That took away a lot of the nervousness.”
What’s the biggest way you’ve changed since you first arrived at Tennessee?
“Man, I’d say my mindset and maturity. Those would be the two biggest things now knowing how things work.”
Is this the most confident you’ve been since coming here?
“For sure. I’ve been telling everyone I feel like myself again. It’s all the preparation. We went through a grueling summer program, spent a lot of time in the film room, and just kind of learned the ins and outs of the defense. As far as that, I feel like I'm very well equipped as compared to the past."
Do you feel a sense of urgency as a senior?
"There's no pressure. If you know you can ball, you can ball, so right now it's just time to execute."
You said the culture here is totally different. That this place is unrecognizable now. Why?
“Just the discipline and accountability now is at a whole new level. Even us as players, I feel like we don’t back down or shy down about calling each other out no more.”
What was your biggest lesson from last season?
“Oh. Good question. The biggest thing I know now that I didn’t know then was to just keep chipping away. Every game is not going to go perfect. You’re not going to have the best game. Sometimes you’re mess up some things, but you can’t let that carry on. Stay in the moment. Just moving on from things quicker.”
When you look at Pruitt’s success elsewhere, what sort of confidence does that give this defense?
“We all know Coach Pruitt’s credentials, and where he’s come from. That was a big factor in him coming here, and all the players knew that, so everyone was really excited. But to actually be able to work with him 1-on-1, you kind of get an understanding of why those places were so successful.”
How much more fun is football for you right now?
“Man, I’m having a blast now. I’m living my best life.”
Considering your background and path to Tennessee, do you ever just stop and think about how far sports can take you?
“I was actually walking across the bridge by the globe or the sphere the other day and I was just looking over and you could see the sphere and the stadium in the background and it’s just crazy kind of like the ups and downs and the roads that football has taken me with.
“It’s just been honestly a blessed opportunity. I never thought I would be in this position to have cameras in my face and people interested in what I have to say it, so it’s unreal where sports can take you. I’m glad I stayed here. I feel like it’s helped me develop as a man, too. I feel primed and ready.”